$90K bail reduction reversed in Monroe County

Saturday

Apr 6, 2013 at 12:01 AMApr 9, 2013 at 8:52 PM

Two days after a district judge reduced bail from $100,000 to $10,000 for a man charged with beating and holding his girlfriend against her will, a Monroe County Court judge Friday raised the bail back to $100,000.

ANDREW SCOTT

Two days after a district judge reduced bail from $100,000 to $10,000 for a man charged with beating and holding his girlfriend against her will, a Monroe County Court judge Friday raised the bail back to $100,000.

Marshalls Creek Magisterial District Judge Brian Germano reduced bail Wednesday for Garrett Turner, 26, of Middle Smithfield Township. The District Attorney's Office then filed a request to modify the bail to an amount even higher than what it had been initially, given the serious nature of the charges.

Because the request went before County Court Judge Art Zulick so soon, Turner's accuser did not have time to arrange to be present in court Friday. Defense attorney Brett Riegel likewise was out of town and called in by phone to be present. Riegel told Zulick a preliminary hearing on the charges is scheduled for Wednesday, April 10, before Germano.

Turner is charged with the felony crimes of aggravated assault and kidnapping and the misdemeanor crimes of unlawful restraint, false imprisonment and simple assault. If Germano dismisses charges Wednesday, Turner will be released from Monroe County Correctional Facility.

Zulick continued the bail hearing to Thursday, April 11, a day after the scheduled preliminary hearing. This gives the accuser more time to plan to be present for the bail hearing.

Zulick in the interim raised Turner's bail back up to $100,000. He will decide after April 11 whether to leave it that amount, raise it even higher or lower it.

Turner's girlfriend on March 7 went to his father's house, where he was living in the detached garage, to tell him she was breaking up with him and get her belongings, state police said.

Turner became violent, punching and kicking her, putting a knife to her throat and beating her with a crowbar, police said. When she tried escaping through a window, he grabbed and twisted her foot and then continued the assault.

He then locked her in with him, putting screwdrivers in the door jamb so she couldn't open it, and held her against her will for the next two days, not letting her call anyone on her phone or go for medical attention, police said.

She finally was able to call her mother, who came and got her.

The police affidavit doesn't say where Turner was at that point or if he tried stopping her mother from taking her. Riegel questions the credibility of her story about being held against her will during the two days she said this happened, since Turner said he was away from the house at some point during that period.

The affidavit also doesn't say why the accuser waited until March 11, two days after the alleged ordeal, to go to Pocono Medical Center for treatment of her injuries and file a report with police. Riegel said she hadn't yet filed a Protection From Abuse order against Turner during the two days between the alleged ordeal and her hospital visit, and that there have been no reports of Turner making any contact with her during those two days.

The affidavit says police saw bruises on her body at the hospital, but Riegel said there are pictures of bruises on Turner as well. She filed the PFA order March 11, a day after which Turner was arrested and placed in county jail.